(Minghui.org) I'm a 72-year-old retired policeman. I practiced Falun Gong before the persecution began in 1999. However, after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began persecuting Falun Gong, I was so scared that I stopped cultivating. Gradually, I was no different than a normal person, and my health steadily declined year by year.
Lesions were found in my left lung in July 2013 and I had surgery in October. I was often in pain after the surgery but I didn't tell my family. One day I learned from my doctor that I had lung cancer. I was very upset because I knew it was a terminal disease.
My son, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, prescribed many herbal medicines for me. My daughter-in-law bought a “magic lamp” for me. I also tried many folk remedies. But nothing was helpful.
I was near the point of collapse. I had no appetite and my weight dropped to 50kg. I had no interest in anything, but just wandered along the river every day. I even thought of jumping into the river to end my life, so that I wouldn't have to endure the torture of the disease.
It was my colleagues, a married couple, who brought hope to me. They are Falun Dafa practitioners. They told me many times that nothing could cure my disease except Dafa. In desperation, I started to practice Falun Gong.
The couple gave me the book Zhuan Falun and encouraged me to sincerely recite the verses “Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” I did so day and night.
In the span of one month, I saw amazing results. My pain subsided, my legs became stronger, and I regained my appetite. I was very happy and energetic.
The couple and I formed a Fa study group. We read the Fa and did the exercises together. Just as Master said, “...practicing cultivation is the best form of rest” (“Lecture at the First Conference in North America”), I felt very comfortable after each exercise session.
However, cultivation is indeed difficult. I had a very hard time sitting in the full lotus position with both legs crossed on top of the other. Master told us,
“To cultivate in meditation, you have to cross your legs for a long time, and once they’re crossed, your legs ache and feel like pins and needles. After a while you start to feel anxious, and then you get really anxious—you are "working the body, tempering the will." Your body doesn’t feel good, and your mind doesn’t, either.” (Zhuan Falun)
I had to tolerate the pain until eight months later, when I could finally sit in the full lotus.
Improving character was not easy, either. I found that many of the tests came from my wife. She always gave me a hard time. When I was studying the Fa, she would criticize me for sitting in the wrong place. When she was cleaning the house, I had to move around to get out of her way. And she was always very loud. Actually, during our many years of married life, we always had conflicts. I thought that she was the one who created the problems.
Master said, “In true cultivation you have to cultivate your mind, you have to cultivate inward, to look inward—you can’t look outward.” (Zhuan Falun)
This was exactly my problem; I didn't think as a practitioner. I never thought about looking inward, but always blamed my wife. After I enlightened to this, I often reminded myself to be a real practitioner and to look within myself, regardless of what happened. Soon, our relationship became better and the long-existing conflicts were resolved.
I have witnessed miracles during the year that I've been practicing Falun Gong.
One day I was riding my bicycle back home after Fa study. Suddenly it was cloudy and thundering. It was going to rain any minute. I told myself that I couldn't get the Dafa materials in my bag wet, and prayed for it not to rain before I got back home. While I was thinking that, I pedaled faster. As soon as I got back home, it started to rain!
Another day, I suddenly couldn't lift my arms. I thought that I must be sick. However, after studying the Fa and sharing experiences with fellow practitioners, I got rid of the thought and insisted on doing the exercises as usual. The next day, my arms were totally fine.
Right now, I'm not only disease free but also my xinxing, or character, has improved. I will work harder to keep improving.